Configuring most consumer electronics to be paired with a network can sometimes be a challenging task. Often, the configuration process requires the user to have some understanding of electronics or IT protocols and technologies. This required understanding may make use of the consumer electronics inaccessible to many potential users.
A common example of potentially burdensome configuration of a consumer electronic product may include pairing a WiFi device to a network. The WiFi pairing process may be complicated when the device to be paired lacks an interface, such as a display or keyboard. To pair a consumer electronics device to a WiFi network it may be necessary to know which network to connect to, and also the type of encryption to use along with the cipher or password. The pairing process can be somewhat complicated if the device to be paired to the network does not have an interface for input of these parameters.
Previous attempts at solving this problem have required the user to first connect the device to a computer using other wired methods such as USB or Ethernet. This degrades the initial advantage of providing wireless connectivity on the device and also places additional hardware requirements on the user's configuration device, such as a PC.
Another method that has been set forth to attempt to address this problem involves writing proprietary protocols and software. In this method, the device may initially operate in a proprietary mode, wherein it may wait for a PC with which to communicate. The PC may run a program that places its WiFi interface into an alternate mode, which may inconveniently disconnect the PC from the existing wireless network. This common method for pairing of devices may often encounter hardware compatibility issues. Additionally, the software that runs on the PC must be very specific to the platform, meaning that versions must be written for all platforms supported.
As a result, there exists a need for a simple and intelligent wireless configuration system that may pair an electronic device to a network with minimal complexity. Additionally, there exists a need for an intelligent wireless configuration system that may pair an electronic device to a network without requiring cumbersome or proprietary protocols and interfaces.